#sydney donut shop

[nolita-fairytale]

Carmy as Your Baby Daddy | Social Media AU & Headcanon Series | part six

part five | masterlist | part seven

your third trimester & meeting baby bear

your third trimester fatigue really starts to set it, rendering a slow-down on you and carmy's sex-a-palooza (era coined & named by @starbritestarlite). the less-than-desirable symptoms come back: extreme fatigue, smell/food sensitivities, and your back and feet are almost always tired/sore.

sugar insists on throwing you a baby shower, and you let her because you know how happy it makes her. you can't believe she actually wants to throw (and host) the party, even though she has a fourteen-month old, but like she said, she insists. sydney offers to cater it and with that addition, you and sugar are both game.

it's there at the baby shower that sugar finds she's pregnant AGAIN and sydney cannot fathom what she must've done in a past life to deserve two pregnant best friends who can't even drink.

sugar gets pastries from your favorite bakeries around the city: marcus' croissants, mochi donuts decorated like baby bears, cupcakes, while sydney takes care of the rest of the food. it's the sweetest thing and carmy is grateful yet a little overwhelmed by the huge celebration that sugar has orchestrated because you swear she's invited everyone you and carmy have ever known.

most sundays when you host brunch at your place, you whip up a great brunch spread and fantastic playlist, and after all of your guest are done, you and carmy spend the afternoon napping, making out, and dreaming up the rest of your life together.

i'd just like to reiterate the pregnant people in overalls concept because i did in fact go to a ceramic sale and see so many pregnant people in overalls. it's a thing. it's a vibe. i'm not sorry. just picture it: you, pregnant in overalls, painting the second bedroom and turning it into a nursery. you and carmy tag team this huge diy project. while you paint, carmy can't stop checking in: "are you sure you're supposed to be around these paint fumes? you feeling okay? you want to sit down, sweetheart? how's baby bear?" and it's so endearing that he's worried but you're having fun doing this with him and you'd really like for him to stop worrying for a second.

shopping. for. baby. clothes. one day you come home from the office with a tiny little denim baby jacket. "i know baby bear won't be able to wear it for a while but..." and carmy is just in tears.

baby bear pajamas. baby bear bed sheets. baby bear wall decals. baby bear everything.

one day when carmy has a night off, he's made dinner for you by the time you get home from the office. while you insist on doing the dishes, he cuddles up with you on the couch later that night. without warning, he begins giving you a foot massage, and it's the best one you've ever gotten. "baby, if you ever decide to change careers, you might have a future in massage." he blushes, reluctant to tell you, but inevitably shares that pete took him to a prenatal massage class. you are speechless. "i'm sorry. you went to a prenatal massage class with pete?! better not let richie find out." but all of your teasing falls by the wayside as you more than happily accept his foot and back rubs night after night.

on top of talking to baby bear, you and carmy begin reading to baby bear. you buy baby bear a few children's books to start and while you prefer to read them to baby bear, carmy has another idea. one afternoon when you fall asleep, he begins reading (and commenting) on a few cookbooks he's owned for most of his career. things like: "hmmm that seems like a little too much salt." and "2 oz of carrots, shredded, then pickled with-. would you pair carrots with jicama for an escabeche, baby bear?" some days you pretend you're still sleeping just to hear him do it because it truly is the most precious thing you've ever heard in your life.

carmy is terrified that he'll be a bad dad, considering his dad left and his mom is... his mom and freaks out one day. in an effort to calm him down, you finally admit that you've been listening to him read to baby bear when you fall asleep. "a man that a works on a recipe with his unborn kid... that's dad material if i've ever seen it." while he still has his worries and anxieties, it makes him feel loads better when you remind him that more than anything, you believe in him.

when you go into labor, carmy drops everything to get to the hospital as soon as possible. while not planned or preferred, you end up having to have a c-section with baby bear. it's the strangest experience (did you know they literally have to take your organs out to get to the baby?!?!?!) and it's not what you pictured, but the minute you hear baby bear cry, it doesn't matter. it is emotional: army is crying and you're crying and baby bear is crying, and you both know your lives have just changed forever.

"welcome to the world, josephine antonia berzatto," you whisper as you hold your baby girl in your arms for the very first time.

a/n: my heart exploded writing that last part. rip to me.

in a wild turn of events, i WILL be writing a 'your life with baby bear' headcanon for this series NEXT, and then eventually a 'carmy as a dad/you and carmy as parents' headcanon.

i forgot to add... i just want to say that @carmensberzattos did in fact call it, insisting that baby bear be called antonia. which is insane considering in season 2 we learned that carmy's middle name is anthony. and that's on being psychic. name was edited bc it flowed better this way!!

[zal-cryptid]

so... Where do Tammy and Jen Hail form, what state, city, town, where their any good donut shops near by

Oh shit, I never did reveal where they came from, did I? They're Aussies! Hence why Jen was seen wearing a loose t-shirt in mid-December in her flashback, in case anyone was wondering. I was binge watching Deadloch when I was conceiving their characters.

Jennifer and Tabitha both hail from Sydney, New South Wales. I like to imagine they frequented a Donut King at their local mall.

[theowritesfiction]

Okay, so I have been watching The Bear, and I eventually got into the show over the course of S1, but now watching S2, it’s really pissing me off, I think it’s one of the most disappointing sophomore seasons in the history of TV, and I want to rant about it.

But first I wanted to address the rave reviews this show is getting on RT, especially the glowing audience reviews (I don’t give a rat’s ass about the critic reviews, there’s too much group think, peer pressure, conformism and paid shilling going on there that it’s not worth looking at). I looked at the audience reviews in more detail and immediately realized that the ‘people’ giving this show 5-star reviews all follow the same naming convention like Adam F, Christina V, Sam R, etc. In short – almost all of them are bots posting AI generated tripe. The 93% audience review aggregate is a complete sham.

Anyway, why do I hate S2? Well, I found this web article 10 Unpopular Opinions About the Bear and figured I’d look at them to see whether I agree or disagree. So, here we go.

10. The Bear Should Have Continued With The Beef, Not Gone Fine Dining

Yes, fuck yes. The chaotic atmosphere of a greasy spoon/rundown sandwich shop was what made the show. Transitioning to fine dining creates this immediate pretentious vibe that’s completely at odds with S1 mood/themes. And while shows always need to keep evolving, I feel like this was way too radical shift from one end of the spectrum to the very opposite end. Also, I haven’t been to Chicago and don’t know too much about the city, but I have a pair of eyes that still work, and they tell me that this is not a fucking fine dining location, like, it’s just not.

9. The Bear Should Have Stopped After Season 1

Why? Just make a season that doesn’t suck.

8. The Bear Symbolism Is Too On The Nose

I don’t care about the symbolism. It’s handled so ham-fistedly that it literally adds nothing to the show.

7. Ayo Edebiri Is Not A Good Sydney

Disagree. I know Sydney is a polarizing character (although if you want to find out actual valid reasons why someone might not like her, do expect that you’ll have to wade through a disturbing amount of hatred for ambitious black women), but her ‘problematic’ jerk moments are interesting to me, and I think are well acted.

6. Marcus Was Right to Keep Working on his Donuts

Obviously not, Marcus is a part of a brigade, work shift is no time for his pet projects. That said, the episode of Marcus in Copenhagen is the most boring episode in recent TV history. 35 minutes on basically telling me that he leveled up his cooking skill. That could have been an e-mail.

Also, this is why I hate fine dining. Instead of making delicious donuts, this guy spent months training how to prepare pretentious desserts that only the rich 1% will be able to afford. Good job, Marcus, you’re now ready to lick the boots of the rich elites.

5. Richie Was The Real Victim Of The Bear Season 1, Episode 7

No, and triple fuck Richie, the worst character of past decade in TV history. I remember reading one of the anti-Sydney threads on reddit hellhole, and people were posting in masses about how ‘well at least Richie isn’t as bad as Sydney’ and ‘at least Richie gets his redemption’. I’m now at S2E7 and I’m still waiting for this asshole to show any redeeming qualities. I don’t know, maybe I’ve had one too many toxic coworkers like Richie, but I hate this guy an unreasonable amount, I want to stick ice picks in his eye sockets and leave him to bleed out as a service to humankind.

4. The Bear Season 2 Was A Letdown

Yeah, no shit.

3. (ignored as it deals with S2 finale spoilers)

2. People Should Ship Sydney & Marcus, Not Syd & Carmy

Hard disagree. People can ship who they want, but both of these pairings will be dysfunctional. As someone who’s all about shipping, I will be the first to say that this show shouldn’t be about ships. All of these people are completely toxic workaholic assholes who have no time for relationships and should never consider entering one. Syd/Marcus and Syd/Carmy is essentially marrying your job for the second time.

1.      Claire's Story In The Bear Season 2 Didn't Work

Again, no shit, and what I’m going to say shouldn’t be taken as an insult to Claire, I have nothing against her character, but rather to the way she was used. Claire is pretty much used to show that Carmy is unable to have normal healthy romantic relationships. But I already knew that from everything the show told us about Carmy before introducing Claire, so I feel like the show is treating me like a child by talking down to me and repeatedly pointing out the obvious. In the end, Claire is reduced to being a completely unnecessary story vehicle to tell us something we already knew, with no agenda of her own.

So yeah, as you can tell, it’s been a very rough watch. I definitely do NOT recommend The Bear to anyone. Do yourself a favor and stay well away.

[qnewsau]

Before Stonewall: Earlier Uprisings

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/before-stonewall-earlier-uprisings/

Before Stonewall: Earlier Uprisings

Stonewall was not the first time that the LGBTQIA+ community had stood up for themselves in America and it’s likely that some of those uprisings were in the minds of the rioters in New York in June of 1969.

The Coopers Donuts Riot

A decade before Stonewall, in May of 1959, patrons at a downtown Los Angeles donut cafe that was popular with gay men rioted after two police officers raided the business, arresting two drag queens, two male sex workers and another young man.

When they complained that there was not enough room for all five to fit in the police car, onlookers began throwing food and coffee cups at the police who retreated to their vehicle and fled the scene empty handed.

Word quickly spread to two nearby gay bars and a large crowd gathered outside the restaurant, taking over the street in what became known as the Cooper Donuts Riot.

In June of 2023 the City of Los Angeles erected a “Cooper Donuts Square” sign near the site of the riot and the LAPD made a formal apology for its historical persecution of LGBTQIA+ people.

Compton’s Cafeteria

Three years before Stonewall in August of 1966, San Francisco had its own uprising in its Tenderloin district when the staff at a Compton’s Cafeteria called the police on a group of trans women who were eating in the restaurant for being too loud.

When the police tried to arrest one of the women she threw a cup of coffee in their faces and the cafeteria erupted, with patrons throwing tables, plates and cups at the officers who retreated back into the street.

The rioters smashed the cafeteria’s windows, damaged a police car and burned down a newsstand.

The following day a larger crowd of trans women, sex workers and gays and lesbians returned to protest outside the cafeteria to protest its discrimination against them and the windows were smashed again.

The Black Cat Tavern

In February of 1967 undercover officers raided Los Angeles’ Black Cat Tavern, beating several customers and two of the barmen before arresting fourteen of the gay bar’s patrons for assault and public lewdness.

Following the raid two hundred people gathered outside the bar in what was the first public LGBTQIA+ rights protest in the city of Los Angeles. This time the police didn’t arrest anyone.

The protest’s organisers founded what would become The Advocate magazine as a voice for LGBTQIA+ people in America later that year.

The Patch Raid

The following year when police raided The Patch bar in the Wilmington area of Los Angeles in August of 1968, the bar’s owner Lee Glaze responded by leaping onto the stage and yelling, “It’s not against the law to be homosexual and it’s not a crime to be in a gay bar!”

At Glaze’s urging, the bar’s patrons began chanting “Fight for your rights!” and “We are Americans too!” at the police.

Glaze then led a crowd to a nearby flower shop, buying all the flowers, and held a 3am demonstration outside LA’s Harbor Division Police Station until all of the patrons had been released on bail.

One of those arrested was Tony Valdez, the partner of The Reverend Troy Perry who was inspired by the experience to found the Metropolitan Community Church three months later.

What made Stonewall different was the number of people involved and the level of media coverage it received around the world, making it a watershed for the global LGBTQIA+ rights movement.

-For all the events taking place during Sydney Pride Month go to www.sydneypride.com

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[sydneyvapewholesale]

Exploring the Best Vape Store Sydney & A World of Vaping Delight  IGet Bar Flavours

Vaping has become a popular alternative to smoking cigarettes in recent times. It's not just an alternative that is less harmful however, it also provides many flavor options and experiences for those who are interested. In this article we'll take a deeper review of the top vape shops and then dive into the thrilling realm of IGet Bar flavors.

The Best Vape Store: A Home for Vapers

Locating the Best Vape Store Sydney is crucial for any vaper. A good vape shop should have a variety of products, top services to customers, as well as a friendly environment. Let's take a look at the main aspects to take into consideration when looking for the most reliable vape store:

• Product Variety: A good vape shop should have the widest range of vaping items, such as mods, e-liquids, coils, tanks and other accessories.

• Expert Staff: Skilled and pleasant staff members are vital to an enjoyable shopping experience.

• Top-quality E-liquids: Quality E-liquids make up the basis of every vape shop.

• Price Competition: Although the quality is never compromised Competitive pricing is always welcomed.

• Options for Online and in-store: Convenience is the key.

IGet Bar Flavours: A World of Vaping Delights

IGet Bar is a brand recognized for its extensive range of disposable vape gadgets that offer a variety of IGet Bar Flavours that you can try. Here are some of the most popular IGet Bar flavors that have received a lot of praise:

• Mango Tango: • Blue Razz Ice: • Pink Lemonade: • Pina Colada: • Strawberry Donut: • Minty Menthol:

The Bottom Line!!

Within the realm of e-cigarettes it is essential to find the top vape shop and trying different flavors like those provided through IGet Bar, can greatly improve your vaping experience. Be sure to consider quality of the product as well as knowledgeable staff and a warm, welcoming environment when choosing your preferred vape shop. No matter if you're a novice or an experienced vaper choosing the right shop and the most exciting flavors can make your vaping experience all more enjoyable.

Go ahead and discover the dazzling and tasty world of e-cigarettes.

[delphina2k]

Going through my old silly doodle file. Don't you HATE it when your magic friend turns your hair into pastry? (sombulus.com)

[walkersdoughnuts-blog]

What’s the secret?

Our doughnuts are handmade daily using traditional techniques and the magic of long yeast fermentation. That’s how we get ‘em so fluffy, so fresh and so tasty!

[polymolystudio]

Happy National Donut Day!! 🍩☕️🤤🎉. Click in the shop via our bio. - http://society6.com/polymolystudio - #society6 #homedecor #interior #decor #wallart #food #nationaldoughnutday #donuts #doughnuts #doughnuttime #sweet #love #dessert #coffee #lavazzaaus #foodie #foodporn #design #art #graphic #illustration #visualdesign #creative #sydney #melbourne #brisbane #digitalart #timtam #vectorart #vector https://www.instagram.com/p/CeUz2l4vZQ5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[bookandcranny]

Shortwave Radio

Why he decided to leave behind a perfectly good astral cluster and go sight-seeing on a spinning ball of dirt in this great cosmic nothing of a solar system is a mystery to the entire family, but it’s been almost ten years now and so they’ve all had no choice but to conclude that he’s not coming back any time soon. 

The right thing to do is to support him in it, so says tender-hearted big brother Hercules, and if that means jumping through a few hoops to attend some strange human ceremony in this hot and lifeless wasteland, then that’s simply what they’ll do.

summary: Five siblings from the stars come to earth by invitation of their estranged little brother, who’s only request to them is that they take a road trip across the American southwest and try to learn to see this planet the way he sees it.

content warnings: dysfunctional families, carsickness, strong language, fear of abandonment, and accidental misgendering of a nonbinary character

length: about 7k words

also, have a playlist!

🛸🛸🛸

On a particularly sticky day in late July, a black minivan rolls up outside Gruber’s Convenience somewhere in the vague liminal world of the i-110 out of El Paso. Shimmering like a mirage the vehicle comes to a stop and five figures shuffle into the station. Working the counter is a greasy-faced teenager who calls himself Benj, though according to his nametag he’s Benjamin until the end of his shift.

If he weren’t intentionally ignoring the group that just walked in, resenting the loss of quiet and the cool air that just escaped with the chime of the door, Benj would notice a few things about them. For one thing, while they all look quite different, all five of them are wearing the exact same clothes: pale blue t-shirt, gray jeans, plain white sneakers, not a toe scuffed or sullied by the dust they kicked up coming in. They’re perfectly inconspicuous outfits, but too new, too deliberate in their banality. 

The people in the clothes have much the same effect. They’re collections of ordinary, aesthetically pleasing parts assembled as if at random, almost uncanny at the wrong angle. Not supermodel pretty, but perhaps stock photo passable. One of them keeps touching things. Just, touching them. He trails his fingers over snack cakes and little pouches of corn nuts with an unreadable expression. Three of them are clustered together in front of the drinks fridge speaking in hushed tones. 

The last one of the bunch is hovering in the corner making eyes at the shop’s resident mascot, Garfield, an uncreatively named tabby cat who’s taken to sleeping on a box underneath the AC unit. The cashier does notice her (he thinks she’s a her) if only because she’s kind of cute, in a straight-laced camp counselor kinda way. He’s already building up an idea of her in his head, every atom of it more false than he realizes.

The Christine or Sydney or whoever reaches down and gives the cat a poke, which turns into an experimental stroke. 

“Mrph?” says Garfield, like cats do.

“Mrph?” parrots the... Liz maybe? No, not quite, he thinks. Garfield blinks at her, yawns. She withdraws, looking half offended by his indifference.

“Don’t take it personal,” Benj says. “He’s not very social.”

She looks at him for the first time and he reevaluates his earlier assessment. Eyes too pale, too far apart-- not ugly per se but definitely not worth the possible write-up he’d get for flirting with a customer.

“He’s the owner’s cat,” he babbles, scratching his chin and looking anywhere but at her. “Or so they say. Honestly I think he just showed up here one day and no one could get him to leave.”

Before she can reply, one of her matching buddies comes up to the register and dumps an assortment of snacks onto the counter. It’s a baffling, eclectic pile, but like any good retail worker Benj has long since learned not to examine anything too closely.

“Road trip, huh? Where are you guys headed?”

The radio behind the counter has gone all staticky. He fiddles with the antenna.

“Visiting family,” says snacks guy. His voice is soft and monotonous, a stark contrast as the guy’s built like a US SEAL. 

Benj looks from face to face. “All of you?” He’s having a hard time believing any two of them are related.

He nods, once. A stiff, decisive shake of the head. The crackling of the radio is getting worse. Benj turns it off.

“Will that be everything, sir?”

Another nod. 

“Herc, wait!” One of the man’s supposed relatives comes up behind him and shakes him by the shoulders. “Hercules, look at this.”

He slams a book down on the counter, one of the cheap paperbacks Gruber’s pedals between the condoms and the first-aid kit stuffings. The cover reads, “The Chest from The West” and features a heavily airbrushed model in a cowboy hat and unbuttoned flannel shirt.

“What am I looking at?” Herc asks.

“Get this too. I want to read it.”

“Why?”

He opens his mouth but whatever he’s about to say, Benj doesn’t really want to be present for it. He quickly scans the book and throws it cover-side-down into the bag. Let them work this one out on their own, hopefully somewhere else.

“Your total’s $29.75” He spins around to shake the radio, which is somehow now back on and blaring louder. When he turns back, the register is telling him everything’s been bought and paid for. Guy must be lightning quick with a credit card, he thinks.

“Huh. Guess you’re all set, man-- sir.” He hands them their bags. “Have fun at your family thing.”

He flashes the big guy a thumbs up. He looks strangely staggered by the gesture and replies haltingly, “Thank you. You also, have fun.”

“Come on, sibs,” the more energetic one chirps. “Cass? Cass, come on.” He drags his sister away from the cat, who’s just starting to warm up to her. “That’s you, remember? Let’s go.”

They don’t get any gas from the pumps outside. Benj is pretty sure he saw the testy looking one with the ponytail shoplift a bottle of off-brand cola, but he isn’t paid nearly enough to care. At least after they’re gone the radio starts working normally again.

Hercules drives, though it’s not so much driving as sitting in the driver’s seat and telling the van to go. Earth machines are simplistic and easy to manipulate. Slow though. Cass is riding “shotgun”, as is apparently customary for the navigator. Andromeda, Zeta, and Camelopardalis share the backseat, where the formermost is rehashing the same tired debate with the latter.

“We need to work out a better earth name for you,” he insists. “Myself, I’ve been doing some research and I’m thinking about going by ‘Andy’ from now on.”

“I’m not calling you that,” says Zeta.

Camelopardalis asks, “What’s wrong with the name I have?”

“It is a bit long,” Cassiopeia agrees. “A shorter one would help you fit in better.”

“Speaking of fitting in, something else has been bothering me. What’s your gender supposed to be?”

“My what?”

“You know, your gender. We all picked one.”

“It’s almost like you didn’t read the brief,” Zeta says, instigator that she is.

“It’s almost like none of you read the brief, that I took the time to write specifically to help you all acclimate to earth culture.”

“Zeta, don’t upset Cass,” Herc scolds.

“I’m not upset.” She turns in her seat to stare pointedly out the window. There isn’t much to look at, just miles upon miles of rolling desert interrupted by the occasional billboard or truck stop, all crawling by at a snail’s pace compared to the sort of travel they’re used to. Not that she’d recognize the analogy. She misses the cat.

Camelopardalis fiddles with their seatbelt. “Which one are you again?”

“I’m a ‘man’,” Andromeda recites. “Earth men are known for their physical prowess and carnivorous diet, they live in cave environments, and often congregate in packs called ‘fraternities’.” He waves the gas-station novel in the air. “I’m going to research their habits and perfect my persona. By the time I’m done with this I’ll practically be a local.”

“I don’t know… Zeta, what made you decide to be the other one?”

“Flipped a coin.”

“Women,” Cass informs them. “Can be most commonly identified by their long hair, fastidious hygiene habits, the use of traditional face paints to accentuate the eyes and lips, and by fleshy protrusions of the upper torso. Any of these traits can indicate an earth woman, though none are necessarily required.”

They throw up their hands. “How is that helpful at all then! Zeta?”

“What do you want me to do about it? I didn’t invent them. Hercules, are you sure these ‘snacks’ are safe to eat? They have a strange texture.”

“If you don’t like it, don’t eat it.” He punctuates the point by reaching back and grabbing a cream-filled cupcake off the pile. He tears the plastic with his teeth and eats half of it in a single bite. He barely tastes the thing, but he’s hoping if his siblings follow his lead their mouths will be too full to whine at him.

“Yeah, Zeta, don’t be a bitch.” Andromeda opens a pack of mini donuts, albeit more gingerly, and pops one into his mouth.

Cass whips her head around. “Where did you learn that word?”

He holds open the paperback and points to a page.

Austin hesitated. “I’ve never ridden a horse before. What if I fall?”

Derek chuckled manfully. “Don’t be a bitch, city boy,” he teased. Then he placed his large, calloused hand upon the small of Austin’s back. He leaned in and whispered, “Don’t worry, I won’t ever let you fall.”

The navigator leans over the center console and tries to snatch the book away but he dodges swiftly, clutching it to his chest.

“That’s foul language, Andromeda Alpheratz.”

“Earthers use this kind of speech with each other all the time. It’s a sign of familiarity and affection. You guys need to be less formal if you want to blend in.”

“If it’s meant to be an insult,” Camelopardalis wonders. “Why would they use it to convey affection.”

“Because they’re brutish, unevolved lifeforms,” Zeta sneers. “‘Blend in, blend in’. The rest of you can worry about blending in with the apes. I’m only doing this for Perseus.”

“We’re all doing this for Percy,” Hercules says in a chastising voice that makes even Zeta shrink down in her seat. “So can we please agree to be somewhat civil and not make this trip more painful than it needs to be?”

There’s a murmur of general agreement and peace is restored, however temporarily. Camelopardalis clears their throat.

“I still don’t really understand why we couldn’t land directly at Perseus Nine’s coordinates.”

Cass huffs, blowing a dark curl out of her face. “For the last time, Percy specifically requested we partake in the human ritual of the ‘road-trip’ for this last portion of our journey. It’s the same route he traveled the first time he came to earth, and apparently holds some sort of sentimental significance. It’s important to him we experience the same pilgrimage. For some reason.” 

She adds the last part under her breath, knowing full well the others will still hear her. They can hear one another when separated by countless miles of empty space, their voices resonating from star to star, clear as a bell. Compared to that, the close proximity of a rented minivan is stifling. There’s an uncomfortable intimacy to it, these crudely assembled physical forms pressed together, bloated and heavy with all the trappings of humanity. Sweat and road dust and gravity cling to Cass like an over-warm coat and she longs for the cool estrangement that comes so easily in the void of space. It’s tough to be a star-dweller away from her star.

“The reasons don’t matter,” Herc declares, and his word is as good as law here. He is the eldest of them, though the concept of seniority is abstracted somewhat by the literal millennia they’ve all lived through.

Percy is the baby, as well as the black sheep of the family, so to speak. (His actual moniker among their kinfolk roughly translates to “the dissonant note”, a scathing insult for those who knew what it meant.) Why he decided to leave behind a perfectly good astral cluster and go sight-seeing on a spinning ball of dirt in this great cosmic nothing of a solar system is a mystery to the entire family, but it’s been almost ten years now and so they’ve all had no choice but to conclude that he’s not coming back any time soon. 

The right thing to do is to support him in it, so says tender-hearted big brother Hercules, and if that means jumping through a few hoops to attend some strange human ceremony in this hot and lifeless wasteland, then that’s simply what they’ll do.

“At least we can check one more stop off the list,” Zeta quips. “What’s next?”

Cass checks her itinerary. “We are to visit one national historic landmark, one ‘tourist trap’-- whatever that means-- followed by a stop at ‘Diane’s Diner’, home of the world’s best pie. After that, we can head straight to the meet-up location.” She glances at the clock on the dashboard. “We’re a little behind schedule but we should make it right on time as long as there are no unexpected delays.”

An hour and a half of driving later, Andromeda throws up corn chips and mini donuts all over the back of Herc’s seat.

They pull over on the side of the road. The desert sand is just beginning to give way to sparse yellow grass, brittle from the sun. Herc steadies Andromeda, looking viscerally displeased as he finishes emptying out his recently manifested stomach.

Camelopardalis frets through the whole episode. “We’ve all been eating the same food, except for Zeta. If it’s poisonous, one of us will be next.”

“It’s not poison, it’s carsickness,” Cass sighs. “Honestly, I’m starting to think none of you even looked at the brief.”

“Zeta, look in the back for something to clean up with.”

“Why me?”

“We’re going to lose so much time…”

“Would you rather hold him?”

Andromeda retches.

“Do you think Percy would care if we skipped a couple stops?”

“Cassiopeia Sigma,” Hercules begins sternly.

“Alright, alright. I’ll figure something out.”

Fortunately they’ve happened to stop within walking distance of something called The Trinity Site, according to the map. Camelopardalis and Cass go ahead to check another stop off the list while Zeta and Herc clean up the van and make sure Andromeda isn’t actually dying. (How embarrassing, to be a quasi-immortal astral being only to perish at the hands of a tainted twinkie.)

They wander from the roadside, following the map and occasional signposts, and shortly find themselves standing in front of an ominous looking stone obelisk with a bronze placard affixed to one side.

Trinity Site: Where the world’s first nuclear device was exploded on July 16th, 1945

There’s more but Cass stops reading. Camelopardalis asks her to explain what the plaque means by nuclear device-- they’re familiar with nuclear power as a concept, fission and fusion, ideas not far departed from the system of energy exchange that sustains their natural bodies in the heart of their stars-- but goes pale when she goes into the relevant applications of said devices.

“Wonderful,” she grumbles to herself as she snaps a few photos of the monument with a disposable camera. “I’m sure Percy will be thrilled.”

“Excuse me.”

The pair turn to see a man in a colorful button-up and khakis and a woman with a day-old sunburn peeling off beneath the straps of her tank top. 

“Boy are we happy t’see the two of yous. Couldja take our picture real quick?” 

The woman holds out a camera, a significantly more professional piece of equipment than the one Cass is holding.

“Oh, sure,” Cass replies. She’s nervous as she takes it from her hands. She’s never encountered this sub-species of human in her research before, and finds it difficult to parse the woman’s peculiar dialect. Both of them are smiling, but they’re also showing a lot more teeth (and a fair bit of gum) than she thinks is normal. A subtle threat?

Nevertheless, she fumbles with the camera for a moment before managing to take a decent snapshot. The man wraps an arm around his wife’s waist and she slots herself in against his side.

“Ope, wait, let’s do a silly one to send to Marsha and the kids. Were my eyes closed? No? Perfect, you’re a doll. We’ll leave you kids alone now.”

“Sure,” she says again, feeling out of pace.

“My nephew wears his hair like that,” the man says without segway. He’s talking to Camelopardalis, they realize. “It’s very… hip.”

They touch their hair. They hadn’t given it much thought before, might not ever have if he hadn’t pointed it out. It’s nice, they think.

“Thank you, ma’am.”

His expression flinches into a puzzled frown. Cass smacks their arm.

“Sir! Thank you, sir.”

After they’ve walked away Cass gives him another jab for good measure.

“His hair was longer than the other one’s,” they complain. “And the chest was sort of fleshy. How was I supposed to know?”

“We’re lucky you didn’t cause an incident. Earthers carry weapons in this part of the world.”

They rub their arm. “I don’t know, they seemed nice.”

Still they give a fleeting glance at the plaque behind them and argue no more.

They return to the van, now blessedly puke-free. Andromeda is looking better too. They all pile in and almost immediately Camelopardalis misses the freedom of being able to move without touching somebody. It may be their imagination, but the car seems to be moving slower than ever.

“How was it?” Zeta asks, despite her obvious disinterest.

“Uninspiring,” is Cass’ reply.

The other nods and doesn’t force her to elaborate. “I wish I knew what Perseus intended for us with this… chore list.”

“It’s not important, we just do it.” 

Herc is always a steady presence, but even he is starting to sound annoyed with repeating himself. Zeta, of course, can’t leave well enough alone.

“If we just knew what he wanted us to do or say we could do it and go back to how we were before.”

Cass snaps. “Maybe you should stop complaining and make an effort for once.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

The car erupts into a heated four-way argument. Only Hercules resolutely abstains from comment, though his hands tighten into fists on the steering wheel. The fight doesn’t end in resolution so much as exhaustion. Everyone’s too miserable to keep hurling accusations and insults for the next hundred miles, and at length they lapse back into tense silence.

Zeta rests her head against the window, taking the arythmic rattle into herself, breathing it out in silent, frenetic melodies. She dislikes fighting with her siblings, no matter what they might claim to the contrary. It doesn’t happen often, or didn’t, but things have been different since Percy left home. The littlest star-child had a natural soothing presence to him, one that she’d long taken for granted. Earth is so noisy, she thinks. She strains to listen but she can’t hear a trace of him anywhere.

She tries to imagine what he’d say, if he were here.

“What are we even doing?” 

Probably not that, but she already has everyone’s attention now so she figures she might as well keep going.

“I mean, we’re still behind schedule, we can’t stop bickering, Andromeda can’t even eat right apparently, and I’m pretty sure half of us didn’t even look at Cassiopeia’s brief.”

“Are you getting to a point?” Cass asks irritably.

“I’m just saying we’re all… bitches.”

“Zeta!”

“Get comfortable with it! We’re all bad at this. Me, you, all of us. So can we just stop blaming each other and have a truce in the interest of getting this over with?”

Cass opens her mouth, then lets it fall shut, sinking back into her seat. For a moment it seems they’re heading for another long awkward silence, when Andromeda sits up and points out the window with a sudden urgency.

“Look!”

Herc slows down and they see a billboard lit up in eerie green neon light, directing them to the next off-ramp.

Must see attraction! Visit the one of a kind Ancient Aliens Exhibit! 

The star-folk look at one another.

“Is this what they call a tourist trap?”

“It seems likely.”

Andromeda is glowing-- in a very literal sense-- with excitement. “It’s an exhibit about us.”

“‘Ancient’? Speak for yourself, I’m still only in my six-thousands.”

Needless to say, they do stop at the roadside museum. Cass takes pictures aplenty and, to her surprise, actually enjoys it. Andromeda is disappointed to find there isn’t actually a display dedicated to their kind. Instead there are a lot of grainy photos of some squat, bug-eyed species called “greys” and diagrams of the Egyptian pyramids for some reason. He gets over it by the time they get to the gift shop.

By unanimous decision, they do not buy anymore snacks, though Zeta’s eye does linger on a cooler in the corner advertising “the ice cream of the future!”. Herc does however buy a number of souvenirs. (Rather, he convinces the automated register to record a purchase that didn’t technically take place, and bumps up the number in the bank account of one very nice tour guide while he’s at it.) 

They leave with a mood ring, a handful of polished stones in a small velvet bag, a “gravity defying” purple yo-yo shaped like a UFO, and Camelopardalis sheepishly lays claim to a friendly looking martian figurine with bendable limbs. Overall, spirits are much higher by the time they make it back to the van.

“Hercules,” his meek younger sibling ventures. “Could I try driving? I’ve been curious about it.”

Feeling generous and more than a little tired of staring out at the road for hours at a time, he agrees. He shows Camelopardalis the basics and makes sure they know how not to veer off the road or into other drivers and then he climbs into the middle backseat and stretches out his arms so the siblings on either side of him can tuck in against him and rest. Eventually even the diligent navigator Cassiopeia begins to doze. It’s been a long day and none of them are quite accustomed to the burden of having earthbound bodies.

When Andromeda wakes up the first thing he registers is that it’s getting dark, the day reduced to a slim red band sinking over the horizon. The second thing is the yelling.

“What do you mean you don’t know!”

“I thought I could read the map myself--”

“What about you, navigator? What were you doing?”

“--didn’t mean to--”

“As if you’re one to talk! I can’t believe--”

“--and you were the one who--”

“Shut up!”

Hercules’ normally subdued baritone booms through the van. The windshield wipers begin swinging as if in indignation, while the passengers wince and cover their ears. Andromeda can’t remember a time when his brother’s frequency had felt so violent. The shivering resonance it leaves behind makes his teeth ache.

There’s a pregnant pause, then Cass slams open the door and begins to pace.

“Shit!” she yells at the empty air. They’re parked in a field somewhere, no sign of life save for the buzzing of insects and the rumble of a train somewhere off in the distance. Cass kicks at the ground and screams again. “Shit fuck bitch hell! We are so fucking lost! And so fucking late!”

Andromeda winces again and gets out to try and calm her. “Hey, it’s okay.”

“It is not! We’re probably missing the ceremony right now. Percy will never forgive me for this.”

“It wasn’t your fault…”

“I’m supposed to be the navigator!”

“Well, yes, but…” The words come out strangled. He touches his chest and realizes he’s breathing rapidly. His eyes are beginning to water as well. “I should’ve… I didn’t…”

Zeta hurries over to him. “What’s wrong? Are you going to be sick again?”

Without warning he doubles over and begins bawling. 

“Hercules, do something! Something’s wrong with him!”

“Don’t… don’t… don’t…” he gasps and stammers.

Herc clutches his brother. “Don’t what? Talk to me.”

“Don’t fight,” he finally chokes out. “I don’t want to lose anybody else.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Percy,” he sniffles miserably. “He doesn’t care about us anymore. He has earth now, and all his new earth friends, and we can’t even do this one thing for him. It’s my fault. I knew he hated when I called him a dissonant note and made fun of his earth music but I did it anyway. Now he probably hates me and all of us and this whole thing has been for nothing.”

The eldest braces his arms on Andromeda’s slumped shoulders. “Percy doesn’t hate us. He invited us here because he wanted to see us.”

“Herc’s right, Andromeda. Percy doesn’t have it in him to hate anyone.”

“It’s not easy, but he chose this. He chose earth. We have to respect that.”

Zeta grumbles, “And just what is so special about this stupid planet anyway?”

“It has cats,” Cassiopeia says quietly. Her sister glares but she stays firm. “Well it does. And… people.”

“Strange, silly earth people,” Camelopardalis adds, nervously fussing with their hair. “Confusing and contradictory and fascinating.”

“People who hurt each other for no good reason.”

“People who are kind for no good reason too.”

Andromeda wipes phosphorous tears from his eyes and takes out the rumpled gas-station paperback. “In this book Austin leaves his job as a big city lawyer to follow the cowboy he’s in love with.”

“You think Perseus traveled to earth for cowboy love?”

“It’s a possibility!”

Cass scoffs. “I honestly don’t think he was thinking that far ahead. You know Percy. He probably crash-landed without any plan whatsoever. Or, he probably thought he knew what he was doing, and then when he actually got there he was terrified. And then he probably didn’t want to say anything because he was afraid his siblings would think less of him once they realized he was actually just as clueless about earth stuff as they were. That would probably be really, really stressful for him.”

“Are we still talking about Percy?”

She makes a wordless noise of frustration and kicks up another patch of grass.

Andromeda puts an arm around her. “If… Percy was worried about that, I’d tell her-- him! I’d tell him that he shouldn’t be, because there’s nothing he could do that would make us stop believing in him.”

She exhales. “Thanks.”

“I was talking about you, Cass,” he whispers. “It’s you I believe in.”

“Thank you, I got that.”

“I just… miss him, I guess.”

Herc hums in agreement. “Barely a millennium old and he’s already grown up and gone completely terrestrial. This past century has been the longest of my existence.”

“Hercules, it’s only been ten years.”

That news causes him to make such a face that Zeta starts laughing. It’s the first time she’s so much as cracked a smile the entire trip.

“So… what do we do now?” Camelopardalis asks.

After a moment, Cass grabs the map off the dashboard and holds it open.

“A little more light please?”

They step up behind her and hold a glowing hand over the paper. Her brow creases in concentration.

“Alright, I think we’re somewhere around here,” She gestures. “And we need to be here. There’s no way we’re going to show up on time, but we can still show up. We owe him that much.”

They get in their seats, Herc back at the helm, and begin trying to reclaim the distance they lost with the unplanned detour. Cass breathes a sigh of relief when road signs start to reappear. A driver honks at them as they pick up speed and Herc steers closer and makes their radio start playing at top volume. Zeta opens the window and a cool night breeze tickles her skin. The stars are bright and beautiful above them, and looking up, suddenly home doesn’t feel so far away.

All at once they slow to a near stop.

“What’s going on? Why are we stopping?”

“Traffic,” Herc says like it’s a curse. “Looks like there was an accident.”

“Take this exit,” Cass commands. “We can cut through the next town and get ahead of it.”

So he does and soon they find themselves driving through the quiet streets of Kismet, Nevada. That is, quiet until Zeta catches sight of something out the window and yells, “Pull over!”

“What! What is it now!”

She points, and they see. The sign ahead reads, “Diane’s Diner: Home of the World’s Best Pie”. They pull in so fast they nearly end up colliding with a stout aproned woman who’s pushing a teetering hand cart across the lot.

“What do you maniacs think you’re doing?” she demands as they clambour out of the van.

“I’m very sorry, ma’am,” Cass says in a rush. “It is just very important to my siblings and I that we get to this establishment.”

The woman huffs. “You’re a mite late then, I’m afraid. We’re closing up early tonight. Got a big catering order I have to deliver.”

Herc asks, “Are you Diane, of the diner?”

She laughs. “Close. I’m Maddie Finkle of the diner. Diane’s my mother’s name. It’s a family business. But what brings you folks here looking for Diane at this time of night? I don’t think I’ve seen your faces around town before, and I always remember a customer.”

“Do you remember a customer named Percy? It would’ve been years ago, but this place was very important to him. He’s our brother.”

Maddie’s eyes light up. “Why didn’t you say so! Of course I know Percy. And if you rowdy lot are his siblings, then I’ve got a message for you.”

“A message?” Percy hadn’t said anything to them about a message. Maybe this was his way of ensuring they actually made it to the last stop on his list.

“Well, sort of. Come, come, help me load up all this grub and I’ll tell you everything.”

Herc and Zeta go to either side of her and help push the wobbly cart to a truck with the diner’s logo emblazoned on the side. As they load the boxes, Maddie speaks.

“I first met your Percy when I was just a waitress, mama still working the kitchen. One day this kid walks in, looking as lost as can be, comes straight up to the counter and tells me he’s just fallen from outer space and could use some assistance.” She barks a laugh. “I didn’t go for the whole alien thing but that second part was a lot more believable. He looked a mess. I asked if he needed something to eat but he just said he needed a safe place to rest for a moment. He’d been on his feet all day, walking and hitchhiking his way clear across the desert.

“Of course I wanted to know where he was going that was so important, but he said he didn’t know for sure yet. Said he was following a melody, a song he’d heard from very far away that had drawn him to this place. I told him I couldn’t help him there. The only music we had in the diner was this old stereo system mama had put in when she first opened the place and it was long broken. Mama was too sentimental to get rid of the old thing and the repairman couldn’t do anything for it so broken it stayed. 

“He asked me to show him so I did, figuring it couldn’t hurt anything. Then that kid walked up to the busted speaker and just like that it started playing again like it was new. I told him, ‘For that, I owe you more than a place to rest your legs. Stay in town for a while, let us put you up and get you back on your feet, or at least let me drive you to the train station so you can get where you’re going.’ But he refused, and before long he was gone again.

“Then, not a couple days later, spaceboy comes back traveling with this other kid, heading in the opposite direction. I ask him what happened and he says he was going one way but he changed his mind and turned around. He leans in like he’s sharing a great big secret, like we’ve been friends all our lives, and says, ‘I found it, Maddie. I found the song.’ Weirdest kid I’ve ever met! But they make a cute couple, him and that boy, and they’re some of my best customers to this day.”

They finish packing up the truck, Maddie leaning leisurely against the fender as she reminisces. Herc frowns, confused.

“Was that the message?”

“Yup.” She pops the P. “He just told me to tell you the story. Not sure why. I mean, it’s a good story, I think. But you already know all about it, right? You’re his family after all.”

“No, he never told us,” he admits softly.

“Huh. Weird. But then, he’s kind of a weird kid, yeah? I always wondered, is it all you aliens who talk in riddles like that, or just him?”

“I thought you said you didn’t believe his claims.”

“I didn’t the first time, but if your Percy’s one thing it’s… Perc-istent.” When no one laughs, she pushes onward. “Well, that’s all of it. We’d better get a move on, huh?”

“‘We’?”  

“Sure, aren’t you folks on your way to Percy’s place too? I figured you’d be staying over, and I gotta get everything set up for the wedding tomorrow.”

A palpable shock ripples through the star-folk. “Tomorrow?”

“‘Course, what did you think all this was for?” She pats the truck. “I wanted to get everything ready ahead of time so we’re good to go in the morning. It’s not easy being the caterer and providing my lovely self as a guest on the same day, but I couldn’t let those sweet boys down.”

Andromeda slumps over, leaning on Herc for support. “Percy told us the wedding was tonight.”

The chef raises an eyebrow. “Sounds like someone’s been having a little fun with you. Nah, they’re doing some sort of get-together tonight since neither one of the bachelors wanted a bachelor party, but the actual wedding ceremony’s definitely not until tomorrow.”

“I’m going to end him,” Cass mutters under her breath.

“Hurry up now,” she says. “I’m sure the groom-to-be’s expecting you.”

The five follow Maddie’s truck away from the main drags, away from the buildings, the scenery becoming gradually greener as the road turns from asphalt to gravel. At last they find themselves pulling up in front of the house that Percy has come to call home. It’s a raised ranch, flanked by evergreens and patchwork plots of small white and yellow flowers that Percy’s fiance must have planted, and a tower of plastic chairs and tables covered by a tarp. 

It’s a nice place, large and somewhat secluded, set apart from the noise of traffic or threat of nosy human neighbors. Percy’s sensitive to loud noise and, after all, still an alien living in secret amongst humanity. Yet as they get out and follow the caterer where she’s cutting around back through the garden, they’re struck by the sounds of laughter and music and lively chatter.

A group of earthers are gathered on the patio, smiling faces lit by a string of twinkling lights. A man with a guitar strums along with the music coming from inside.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place?” Andromeda whispers. 

“You think there’s a second Perseus Nine about to be married in this town?” Cass shoots back.

Zeta hisses, “Quiet, I can hear him.”

To his surprise, Herc can too. Above the noise, laced into everything he touches, there is a resonance, his baby brother’s unique personal frequency. To describe it as sound alone would perhaps be inaccurate; it’s a vibration, an echo. Percy is everywhere in this place: his whispers and his shouts, his twinkling laugh, but also the part of him that no human being can detect, the part of him that is still, and will always be, of the stars.

He must sense them too, because in that moment he appears standing in the doorway, bathed in its yellow light. His face breaks out in a glowing grin and he runs to greet them, bolting like a comet being pulled into his siblings’ orbit.

“You made it!” he exclaims.

Zeta snorts and allows him to throw his arms around her. “No thanks to you and your list of demands.”

“You brat,” Cass accuses. “You told us the ceremony was tonight.”

Percy tilts his head to look at her, his expression not half as guilty as it should be. For a moment she reels at the sight of him; the body he’s constructed for himself has aged since the last time they crossed paths. It’s subtle, the way his dimples have deepened into true laugh lines, and his hair has grown ever longer, though it also isn’t as tangled as she remembers. He is still himself, underneath, the light of his true being faintly visible beneath the skin. 

“I was worried if I told you the real date you wouldn’t make it in time. You’re not used to traveling the human way. It can be messy.”

She grimaces. “You’re not wrong.”

“You’re actually here way earlier than I thought you’d be.” His smile falters, only slightly. “This is… everyone?”

Herc swallows. “The others…” he begins, but quickly finds he doesn’t have the words that should follow.

“Well, it’s not like I had enough chairs for all two-hundred-ninety-seven of them anyway.” He reaches out and squeezes his brothers tightly. “Hercules, Andromeda, It’s so wonderful to see you. Camelopardalis, Cassiopeia, it means so much to me that you came. I know it probably wasn’t easy. Zeta…”

She scoffs. “The only hard part was putting up with these bitches.”

Hercules interjects, “We shouldn’t keep you from your party. Go on, I need to get some things from the van.”

“You didn’t bring presents, did you?”

“It’s customary for weddings, is it not?”

Percy grins. “You’re becoming a real expert on earth customs.”

He shrugs and looks at Cass. “I just read the brief.”

Percy invites his family in, along with Maddie, who is perfectly tickled by the siblings’ awkward affection. After helping her bring in the food, Percy beckons over the man with the guitar.

“Adam!”

The man looks up. He has a boyish, freckled face and a head of dark curls that spill over his brow. He sets down the instrument and comes to slot himself against Percy’s side, thoughtlessly, as if that was always where he was meant to be.

“I’d like to formally introduce you to my fiance, Adam. And Adam, this is my family.”

His smile broadens. “Hey, great to finally really meet you guys. Percy talks about you all the time. Did you have a long trip?”

They look at one another for a moment until finally Herc shrugs and says, “Only about twenty-five trillion miles, give or take.”

The happy couple linger for a moment longer, sharing stories and talking about honeymoon plans. Adam is especially thrilled when Andromeda and Zeta begin to co-narrate an embarrassing tale from Percy’s childhood in the Alpha Persei Cluster. Eventually though the pair wander off together, leaving the star-folk to their most harrowing challenge yet: mingling.

“Sorry, what did you say your name was?”

“Camelopardalis.”

The guest, one of the couple’s mutual friends, goes a bit bug-eyed. “Wow, okay, that’s really cool. Kind of a mouthful though. Got a nickname?”

“Nick… name?”

“Like, something that your friends call you for short. My friends call me Dee, but my highschool nickname was Dent.” They point to a scar on the side of their head, just above their left ear. Their fair hair is buzzed short, making it easy to see. “Long story. What if for now I called you ‘Cam’?”

They consider it. “I think I’d like that.”

“Cool, nice to meet you, Cam.”

“Nice to meet you, Dee.” They hesitate. “Would you say you’re a man or a woman?”

Dee frowns.

“Nevermind! I’m so sorry, I just don’t understand the earth gender binary at all. Everything about it just seems so arbitrary and senseless.”

Oddly enough, their new friend perks back up at this. 

“Honestly, same,” they laugh.

Andromeda joins shortly, having struck up a conversation with Dee’s partner who is deeply intrigued by his review of “The Chest from The West”. The three of them spend a while swapping book recommendations. Meanwhile, Zeta gets hit on by a slightly intoxicated young woman with an undercut and an eyebrow ring, although the star-dweller vastly misinterprets her none-too-subtle questioning about alien biology. Cass meets Adam and Percy’s pet dog, Chowder, and deems him as good a companion as the convenience store cat.

Herc catches Percy alone in the kitchen and the two have a long overdue talk. It’s clumsy but earnest, and when Herc mumbles something out about possible future family visits, Percy throws himself into his brother with such vigor that he momentarily forgets about gravity and starts to float off the ground.

“I’m sorry too, by the way, for the whole thing with the list,” he sighs. “It probably seems pretty stupid, I just kind of hoped I could get you to see this world the way I see it. Full of life and love and adventure.”

“And music,” he finishes, catching the way his gaze flits back to the patio. To Adam, singing softly and dancing with one of their friends.

He nods. “I thought maybe then you’d understand why this is so important to me.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to see earth the way you do,” Hercules confesses. “But I don’t think it was stupid of you to try either, and I don’t think it was for nothing.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the mood ring. The friendly prismatic face of a cartoon alien glints up at him. Perseus takes the gift with an understanding chuckle and slips it onto his pinky finger.

“No, not for nothing.”

Tomorrow, there will be a wedding. Percy and Adam will stand in front of their friends and family and exchange their vows. Adam’s mother will complain about them not booking a proper venue for just short of an annoying amount of time, Maddie will bring out a ridiculously tall tier cake that will taste almost as good as one of her mother’s pies, and for once Percy will not be the worst one on the dance floor. 

Tomorrow, there will be a bright silver band around Percy’s fourth finger, neighbored by a smaller ring in the shape of an inside joke, and with all the weight of a promise.

[gemsofgreece]

Loukoumás is a greek dessert, similar to a small donut. LUKUMAΔEΣ shop in Athens gives them modern delicious twists!

Besides Athens, you can find LUKUMAΔEΣ in Melbourne, Subiaco and Sydney in Australia and soon to Indonesia as well.

[sydneygiftboxes]

Take The Easy Way! Buy Birthday Gifts Online In Sydney!

The new digital age has brought with it many methods to make things simple and quick for people. A thing which took hours or even days before can now be easily completed in minutes, if not seconds. Online shopping is clearly one of the greatest boons of digital age. This new dimension has added the much needed ease and quickness to the time consuming task of shopping.

These days, a lot of people prefer to buy birthday gifts online in Sydney. This is primarily because this type of shopping experience is controlled by the user. This means that you can shop whenever you want without being worried about operating hours of the service provider. E-shops are open 24X7, all round the year, which means that you can place an order on them at any time of the day or night, according to your time availability.

What's more, you do not to need leave your home to find a perfect birthday present for special people in your life. You can order anything you want to give them as a birthday present as per your convenience in the comfort of your home. Plus, you could be sitting in a completely different part of the world and still order a gift for your loved one who is far away from you.

Furthermore, paying for your chosen gift basket is also simple, thanks to the amazing advances in the field of internet. You can choose to pay for your selected gift through any mode you like including credit card, debit card or any digital payment application. Additionally, you do not need to stress about your account details being stolen or misused as these websites follow strict privacy policy restricting them to share your account details without your consent.

Nowadays, the trend of giving dessert gift baskets as birthday presents is seeing a great rise! This is so because these are perfect for people who are hard to please and are enjoyed by men, women and children alike. Also, giving such a gift reduces your worry that whether your gift will be liked by the receiver or not. In addition to many pre-made birthday dessert gift baskets on the internet, you can also find many online portals which give you the option of customizing your chosen dessert gift box. You can add different sorts of desserts in your gift basket like donuts, chocolates, waffles, candies and more. You can even add drinks like wine, beer or energy drinks in your gift.

There are also many websites offering special vegan gift baskets in Sydney. These are ideal for people who follow a strict vegan diet. When you order a vegan gift basket, it is made sure that all the desserts added in it are totally vegan. So, if someone you know is going to celebrate his/her birthday soon and prefers to stick to a vegan diet, then you can easily gift him/her a gift basket loaded with yummy vegan delicacies.

[garypatrickmannion]

Drank some decent coffee in May

Some of the coffee I drank here in May..

Brothers Ben – Petersham, NSW

Frankie’s Beans – Kings Cross, NSW

Draft coffee roasters – Redfern, NSW

The Reformatory coffee lab – Surry Hills, NSW

Cuckoo Callay – Newtown

Verd – Manly

Silly tart kitchen – Potts point

Draft coffee roasters – Beaconsfield

Donut Papi X Three Williams – Redfern

Vida surf shop cafe – Bondi

Bruce coffee and tea – Glebe

Brothers Ben –…

[titsoutforkapanen]

I do love you Pt 12

I hope you guys like this part! It’s just a filler till I get closer to the wedding!

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TIME SKIP! 2.5 MONTHS

It was mid November and the height of hockey season. Parker was 3 months old finally sleeping through the night making it 100 times easier when Auston was away on long road trips. Parker was in LOVE with his daddy and he loved watching him play. Kappy had laid low for the most part leaving me and Auston alone. When we’re all together as a team it’s like it never happened. When Parker is around he either just stays out of the way or he isn’t as pushy. Kappy and I had talked everything out and it was really his mom who was pushing for court. I let Kappy see Parker once in a while but he still hasn’t had him on his own. Auston wasn’t a fan of Kappy being involved but we decided that when we have seen Parker and Kappy together they have a connection that we shouldn’t break. Auston never comes with when I bring Parker to see Kappy so I either bring Parker to Kappy and Willy’s apartment or we meet in a park or restaurant.  

Today I was finally letting Kappy watch Parker by himself because Auston and I were going dress and tux shopping. I grabbed my purse and keys and put Parker in his car seat. “Babe! I’m leaving to drop off Parker and pick up the girls! I’ll meet you at the shop!”

“Okay! I’ll see you soon I love you!” he shouted from our bedroom.

“I love you too!” I said as I walked out the door.

I knocked on Kappy’s door waiting for him to open. He opened the door and smiled taking Parker’s car seat out of my arms.

“Okay, so we’re going to be gone for a few hours and either me or Auston will come to pick him up. There’s formula and some pumped breast milk in the bag. He prefers the breast milk so use that first. There’s diapers and wipes in the bag so you everything you need is here. If you need anything I’ll have my phone on me but if I don’t answer just call any of us there.” I ranted nervously.

“Hazy, I got it. I can take care of him for a few hours” Kappy assured me taking him out of the carseat.

“Bye, baby. I love you” I said kissing Parkers cheek before I walked out and down to my car.

I picked up Steph and Christina on my way to the shop. We pulled into a parking spot and saw Auston’s car which meant that they were already inside. We walked in and saw Auston, Mitch and Patty sitting on a table talking. I smiled at the scene before I heard a laugh that sounded familiar but I couldn’t put a face to it. I walked closer to the table and saw two people I was missing more than I could have imagined.

“Wow, haze you finally got him to settle down” I squealed launching myself into Matts arms.

“You’re here! I’ve missed you so much!” I laughed into his shoulder as he spun me around.

“I’m here too, hun” I looked up and saw Sydney.

“Oh my god!” Matt set me down and I ran into Sydney’s arms.

“Let’s get shopping” Christina said as Sydney and I pulled apart. Us girls walked over to our part of the shop where I could try on dresses without the guys seeing me. I had tried on at least 20 dresses and was EXHAUSTED and was about to quit.

“Hazy, we just have a few more” Sydney said like she could tell I was ready to quit. I sighed walking back into the dressing room. I tried on a white flowy dress and was immediately in love. I smiled to myself in the mirror before walking out. I walked into the room where the girls were and they started clapping and cheering like they knew that this was the one. I knew that this was the dress I wanted and I knew that I wasn’t going to be trying on any other dresses.

“You look beautiful” I looked in the mirror and saw Mitch standing behind me.

“You’re not supposed to see me”  

“Actually, Auston isn’t supposed to see you. And I promise not to tell him” I turned around to face him and saw tears in his eyes.

“Stop you’re going to make me cry” I tried to laugh but I knew a few tears started to fall. “Why are you crying?” I asked wondering why Mitch was crying at me in a dress.

“Because you’re like my little sister. I love you I feel like I need to protect you from things an older brother would” he said as a single tear fell down his cheek. I felt tears start to fall down my cheeks as I stepped off the podium and pulled him into a hug.  

“I love you Mitchy”

“I love you too, Hazy”

INSTAGRAM

Hazy_Dawn: I picked out my dress today! This isn’t it because I can’t let Aus know what I look like in it but this dress was a close second 💍 #HappilyEverMatthews

Stephlachancee: Most girls would worry when their boyfriend had a close relationship with another girl. That isn’t the case with Hazy and Mitch. These two are like two peas in a pod. I don’t think there is anything that could pull them apart. Today Mitch cried when he saw Hazy in her dress and I don’t think I have ever been that happy. I love you both to the moon and back 1000 times 💙

Auston and everyone who was at the shop with us were all going to go out to dinner at a sushi place but I needed to pick up Parker so I said I would meet them there. I picked Parker up from Kappy’s and was on my way to the sushi place.

After eating everyone went their own ways except Matt and Sydney. They had only flown in for the day and were just staying at our apartment tonight so Auston or I could drive them to the airport tomorrow morning. Parker was loving playing with his Uncle Matt and his daddy so Steph and I relaxed on the couch laughing at the boys every once in a while. I was dozing off, and ready for bed when Sydney spoke up.

“I’m kind of tired, I’m going to head to the guest room and try and sleep some” she said standing up.

“Me too. I’m exhausted” Matt said handing Parker to Auston. When Sydney and Matt were in their room I shut off all the lights and walked up to our room to get ready for bed. I had finished my usual bathroom routine when Auston walked into the bedroom. He walked into the bathroom and brushed his teeth before walking into the bedroom and stripped down to just his boxers.

“I can’t wait to marry you, baby girl” he said pulling me into his chest.

“Me either” I said feeling his breath slow as he fell asleep.

I woke up before Parker or Auston and walked into the kitchen and made a cup of coffee before I needed to be a mom. I drank my coffee and watched the morning news. Soon enough I heard Parker’s small cries coming from his nursery. I tried to be quick so Auston could sleep some more since he left for a road trip today. I picked Parker up out of his crib and changed his diaper and clothes. I walked back downstairs to start some homework. I don’t know how, but I’ve stayed caught up with my online work and am officially a sophomore. I was doing all my classes online through the University of Toronto. Soon enough Auston walked into the living room with his bag already packed.

“Good morning, do you want me to drive you?” I asked as he sat down beside be picking Parker up off of his swing.

“Yeah, if you could. And if we leave now, we’ll have time to stop and get Tim Hortons” he offered getting up and grabbing Parkers car seat.

“I’m always down for coffee and donuts” I laughed grabbing my purse and keys.

After I dropped Auston off I picked up Steph so she could come over so I wasn’t as bored. When we got to the apartment we sat down on the couch to start making save the dates for the wedding.

“So have you told your parents?” She asked taking a drink of her coffee.

“Actually I haven’t”   I looked down at my phone shielding myself from Stephs disappointed look.

“Hazy, why not?”

“I haven’t talked to any of my family members since before Parker was born and I don’t want to deal with them telling me I’m wrong”

“You’re twenty years old. You can make your own decisions” Steph said putting a hand on my shoulder. “Call them, Hazy”. I opened the contact app scrolling to find the one I was looking for. My finger hovered over the call button not wanting to press it. Steph pushed my finger down making me push it. Steph pushed the speaker button so she could hear the call. It seemed like it rang forever before we got an answer.

“Hazy?”

“Hi, mom”

[thenextrush]

It was only a matter of time before we gave in.   Particularly since they drop the price from $20 to $15 for a pack of 6 or $30 down from $38 for a dozen.    Pure curiosity led to a sample of most of the range even though what was suspected to be our favorites turned out to be.

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Not really understanding the maple bacon situation which was ok after overdosing on the sweetness on the other flavours but had this been the only choice from the selection it would have fallen short of satisfying.   The cookes and cream and strawberries and cream hit the mark nicely but the real surprise for the win from the Banoffee Cream and Coconut! Pure dirty indulgence!

Box of happiness #donuts #donulovers @walkersdoughnut It was only a matter of time before we gave in.   Particularly since they drop the price from $20 to $15 for a pack of 6 or $30 down from $38 for a dozen.   

[not-hereforit]

Gallavich Soundtrack

Alright friends, I’ve compiled a list of all of the songs used in Gallavich scenes (plus a few individual scenes), and let me tell you, reliving Gallavich musically is one of the best (& sometimes heartbreaking) things ever.

Spotify playlist here & song breakdown under the cut! (anything with an asterisk (*) means it wasn’t available on Spotify)

What I Said by Alien Crime Syndicate “Iiiiian Gaaaallagherrr!” Mickey’s first appearance

It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning by We Were Promised Jetpacks Ian’s studying with Mandy at the Milkovich house and hooks up with Mickey

Wham Bam by Clooney Mickey & Ian go for round two at the baseball field

Nothing to Lose by The Marys Ian & Mickey caught in the walk-in by Frank

Drink While We’re Young by Red Devil Squadron Ian looks for “that look” in Mickey’s eye at the high school

Guided Missiles, Misguided Men by Holy Fever Mickey tries to sell to idiot kid at shop & Angie convo

Hysteria by Ceremony Mickey & Ian run from security after Mick beats up Ned

The Store by Toothpick Warriors Robbing Ned’s mansion

Oh by FIDLAR Ian looks for Mickey in abandoned building but Mickey won’t talk

Diamonds by The Lisps Ian goes to confront Mickey before his wedding

Bad Blood by Ana Egge Mickey holds back tears after Ian tells him he’s enlisting and he can’t bring himself to stop him

Canyons by Paw City Mickey retrieves Ian’s photo from magazine then punches bathroom mirror

Dirty Work by Sydney Wayser Lip asks Mickey if he’s heard from Ian, tells him he’s missing

Heat by Barrie Gledden* Mickey finds Ian at the club/lap dance

Wind Me Up by Taxi Doll* Mickey tries to convince Ian to come with him after lap dance

The Boy’s Had His Fun by Cold Shoulder* Mickey carries Ian after he passes out outside the club

Into the Darkness by Will and the Indians* Mickey watches a passed out Ian sleep & is caught by Svetlana

Take a Chance by Bosshouse* Mickey blows Ian

Move Like U Stole It by ZZ Ward (Paul Oakenfold Remix) Mickey kisses Ian at the club

In My Veins by The Fieros Mickey confronts Ian outside after he pulled a knife on Kenyatta

Pick Me Up by Between Borders Carl sees Mickey sleeping in Ian’s bed, asks if he’s Ian’s boyfriend

Fisherman by The Peach Kings Mickey leaves for the baptism after telling Ian yes they are a couple

Sleep Forever by Portugal. The Man Ian kisses Mickey on the head outside the bar after the brawl with his dad

Feelin Good by The Stevenson Ranch Davidians Mickey working as a respectable mover

Run Boy Run by Mom’s Basement Mickey runs errand (beats up Patel)

Black Soap by Ex Cops Ian is riled up after the confrontation at the soldier’s funeral

All A Lie by The Bixby Knolls Ian tosses Mickey’s shit in the yard during his cleaning spree

Man Child by Redgrave Ian runs away with Yevgeny

Discoloration by Dawn Golden Picking up Ian from police station & car ride home

Lost Soul by Dark Matter Ian’s admitted for a 72 hour psych evaluation

Peace Love With You by Moroccan Knights Mickey gets ready to go see Ian in the hospital

Go! by Soft Swells Mickey stumbles around drunk and trips over Ian’s jacket

Racketology by Breed Mickey plays guitar drunk and naked

Falling Together by Mason Brothers “Sorry I’m late.”

One More Minute by Locksley Mickey gives Ian his pills & tells him no caffeine

Walkin’ by Wild Party Mickey gives Ian a donut so he won’t take his pills on an empty stomach

Basic Instinct by The Acid Baseball field fight/hookup

Love Is A Battlefield by Pat Benatar Mickey & Ian drunkenly sing on their way back to the Gallagher house

Cigarettes by Coby Brown Ian & Mickey try to fight off the MPs

Don’t You Start by Sleepy Kitty Sammi taunts Mickey & Fiona after the MPs take Ian

Where the Ocean Is by Shadow Shadow Mickey headbutts Ian’s photo, leads to scene of Ian lying in truck cab

Marble by Bronx Cheerleader Ian lays in grass outside trailer, Mick calls (phone background now pic of them)

Hyperflowers by Los Waves Mickey runs to Ian after he calls to tell him he’s back

Going Out Fighting by Minutes to Midnight Mickey runs, shouting at Sammi while she shoots at him

Livin’ in the Fire by Motopony Ian and Svetlana visit Mickey in prision

You And I by Margaret Glaspy Ending credits after Ian finds out Mickey escaped

Skulldiggin by Black Joe Lewis Ian waits for Mickey at the docks and is kidnapped in a van

HEAL by Strand of Oaks “Let’s ride.”

Just What You Feelin’ by Kemo The Blaxican In the car driving to Mexico then pulling over so Mickey can hit that

Swing Ya Rag by T.I., Swizz Beatz Mickey & Ian hookup in the car after kicking Damon out

Crashed Cadillac by Bot’Ox Mickey finds Jesus at a Quinceañera 

Volca by Born Rivals* Mickey and Ian go to get money at the bank

I Ain’t the One by Spoon Ian watches Mickey cross the border into Mexico

Sunrise by Broken Bellows Ian walks to his cell

Pink + White by Frank Ocean Mickey shows up as Ian’s cellmate (Previously: Endgame)

Hot for Hagar by The Ginger Faye Bakers Ian & Mickey get frisky in the morning/the mayonnaise debacle

When You Smile by Floral Fauna Ian is brushed off by guard when he asks for a new roommate

Baccarra by Cardova* Mickey & Ian race to shiv Chester

Petty Thieving by FEET Ian attempts to throw his parole

Ad Blue by FEET Ian’s released from prison

I’ve Been Wrong by Food Court The Gallaghers throw Ian a welcome home party

Firebreather by Lead Pony Mickey tries to escape from prison via medical waste bin

Might Be Right by White Reaper Mickey chases shoplifter at Old Army/mall

Let’s Go by Clear Blue Fire Mickey catches a parolee for Paula

Deliver Me by TRUETT Mickey agrees they need to kill Paula

Eyes on You by 3 ONE OH Ian & Mickey suspect each other of killing Paula

Cramp by Shawn Lee (Skeewiff remix)* Ian asks neighborhood officer for advice about lawyer, gets marriage idea

Kidnap Runaway by The 1900s Mickey meets Ian at Patsy’s

Off My Mind by Ben Reneer Ian & Mickey get engaged at Patsy’s

Explode by City Silos Ian & Mickey realize neither one killed Paula

Happily Sinking Heart by Mother Sun Ian doesn’t sign the marriage license

Soul Sucker by Lead Pony Ian falls down stairs after Mickey punches him

Fuckin’ Love It by Naked Elephant* Mickey makes a ruckus arriving via vespa

Red Anxiety by Floral Fauna Ian and Liam leave on errand to buy Mickey’s engagement ring

Broke the Cup by Lead Pony Ian goes to talk to Mickey, tries to give him promise ring

Bad Idea by Bad Sea Empire Mickey rebuffs Ian, Ian pees in vespa

Rescue Me by OneRepublic Ian arrives at the bar with Cole

All the Good Things About You by Imperial Mammoth Ian & Mickey watch the band perform at bar

This Life by Vampire Weekend Ian beats up Byron and proposes to Mickey

Inherent Vice by Midnight Divide Mickey and the Gallaghers when Lip announces he’s moving

Let You Go by City Silos Mickey confronts Terry outside the Gallagher house

Livin’ On A Prayer by Bon Jovi Ian has Mickey serenaded at The Alibi

Son by Deep State Mickey robs drug den for wedding money

It’s You by Rebel Kicks The wedding venue is on fire

I Kinda Like It by Them Vibes Mickey grabs shotgun to go after Terry

Cannonball by Dirtwire Debbie tells Mickey to nut-up, they’re gonna white trash the wedding

Champion by M. Rivers Gallaghers and crew come up with idea to try The Polish Doll for a venue

Obsession by Joywave Mickey & Ian arrive at The Polish Doll, lie to owner

Blue Bell by Golden Daze Ian & Mickey take in the sight of their new venue

Face to Face by Rex Orange County Guests arrive for the wedding, final preparations for the ceremony

Lights Down Low by MAX Ian and Lip talk, prepare to begin the ceremony

At Last by Etta James Ian’s song choice for Mickey to walk down the aisle to

Morning Flowers by Brock Tyler Mickey and Ian exchange vows

Raising Hell by Kesha (ft. Big Freedia) Ian & Mickey walk down the aisle as husbands

Coming Out by Joywave* Ian & Mickey dance with family and friends at the reception

Firework by Katy Perry Ian talks to Debbie about missing Monica

Perfect by Ed Sheeran Mickey & Ian slow dance

Wake Up by Fialta Mickey & Ian wake up in their honeymoon suite

Perfect Day by Turf Club* Ian & Mickey after Terry shoots up their suite

[typingtess]

NCIS: LOS ANGELES:  "Born to Run" Act Two

Rogers is interviewing Deeks with a timer – he's expecting an hour.  Rogers wants to know why "Martin" has one foot in LAPD and one foot in LAPD.  He calls him "Martin" since "Deeks" is kinda "bro-y".  

Deeks starts with a story from his childhood that sounds both entertaining and time consuming.  Eric pulls Deeks away, asking Rogers to pause it.  Nell's phone was last at a donut shop – Nell thinks donuts are the dregs of the dessert world.  Sydney's text includes an exclamation point.  Something is wrong.  Deeks promises Rogers he will return.

Callen, Sam and Deeks meet the hotel's desk manager.  He thinks he has a thing with Kensi.  He does not.  The hotel does not have security cameras.  Everyone at the hotel has a key card.  As the manager looks into who used their key cards the night of the murder, Eric calls.  Andre Martinez has $1 million in his bank account.  The key cards were used by one person – Andre Martinez.  

The team returns to the office, Callen is pulled into Rogers's interview.  Deeks finished his interview.  Calls his time with Rogers "a gift" and really feels great about it.

Eric pulls the team to Ops.  He has a photo of Nell, Sydney and Andre Martinez.  Eric is flipping out.

Nell has been avoiding security and satellite cameras.  Andre thinks the government is trying to kill him.  Nell was always nice to Andre.  She gave him a pencil in a calculus class.  Sydney is jealous.  Nell ditches her car – OSP will be looking for her vehicle.  Sydney is not happy they are walking in LA.